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| Walter Scott: large crowds expected for funeral of man shot by police | Walter Scott: large crowds expected for funeral of man shot by police |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Related: Walter Scott: a loving son and father with a passion for music and football | Related: Walter Scott: a loving son and father with a passion for music and football |
| Large crowds were expected on Saturday at the funeral of Walter Scott, the 50-year-old black man who died after being shot in the back by a white police officer in South Carolina – an incident that put the North Charleston police department’s rocky relationship with the African American community on the national stage. | Large crowds were expected on Saturday at the funeral of Walter Scott, the 50-year-old black man who died after being shot in the back by a white police officer in South Carolina – an incident that put the North Charleston police department’s rocky relationship with the African American community on the national stage. |
| Scott was killed a week ago, after being stopped by police officer Michael Slager, who said Scott’s car had a broken brake light. A video released on Tuesday showed Slager shooting eight bullets at Scott, who was running away. The stark image strayed from Slager’s claim that Scott had “tried to overpower him”. | Scott was killed a week ago, after being stopped by police officer Michael Slager, who said Scott’s car had a broken brake light. A video released on Tuesday showed Slager shooting eight bullets at Scott, who was running away. The stark image strayed from Slager’s claim that Scott had “tried to overpower him”. |
| Scott’s funeral, which was set to be open to the public, was scheduled for Saturday at 11am at the city of Summerville’s Word Ministries Christian Center. Other churches in the region were holding vigils and other services. | Scott’s funeral, which was set to be open to the public, was scheduled for Saturday at 11am at the city of Summerville’s Word Ministries Christian Center. Other churches in the region were holding vigils and other services. |
| In downtown North Charleston on Friday, a public viewing was held at the Fielding Funeral Home. A handful of police officers were stationed around the block for crowd control purposes, though the stream of family, friends and community members was calm. | In downtown North Charleston on Friday, a public viewing was held at the Fielding Funeral Home. A handful of police officers were stationed around the block for crowd control purposes, though the stream of family, friends and community members was calm. |
| Brittany Williams, a stay at home mom, said Scott was engaged to the grandmother of her child. She had never met him, but said he was known as “a big, friendly man”. | Brittany Williams, a stay at home mom, said Scott was engaged to the grandmother of her child. She had never met him, but said he was known as “a big, friendly man”. |
| She had come to the vigil with friends including Desiree Dickerson, who also had not met Scott. Both women said they came because they believed Scott should not have died the way he did. | She had come to the vigil with friends including Desiree Dickerson, who also had not met Scott. Both women said they came because they believed Scott should not have died the way he did. |
| “We came out to show our respect,” Dickerson said. | “We came out to show our respect,” Dickerson said. |
| A range of events were scheduled through the weekend, in honor of Scott. The North Charleston United Methodist Churches were due to host a prayer vigil and walk, beginning at the scene of the shooting, on Saturday evening. The North Charleston campus of Seacoast Church said it would hold a vigil the following night. | |
| Protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement – which arose nationwide after a number of deaths of black men at the hands of police officers last year – said they would not be demonstrating on Saturday, out of respect for the family. | Protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement – which arose nationwide after a number of deaths of black men at the hands of police officers last year – said they would not be demonstrating on Saturday, out of respect for the family. |
| Friday night saw the expiration of a deadline such protesters set for the city council to respond to their demands. Demonstrators are asking for the city to create a citizen’s review board with subpoena powers, and have asked that the government agree to call an emergency meeting to discuss the creation of such a group. Because the city has not responded, more peaceful demonstrations are planned. | Friday night saw the expiration of a deadline such protesters set for the city council to respond to their demands. Demonstrators are asking for the city to create a citizen’s review board with subpoena powers, and have asked that the government agree to call an emergency meeting to discuss the creation of such a group. Because the city has not responded, more peaceful demonstrations are planned. |
| "Raise your hands if you've ever been stopped by the North Charleston police." #walterscott pic.twitter.com/ZwG9A6YsIQ | "Raise your hands if you've ever been stopped by the North Charleston police." #walterscott pic.twitter.com/ZwG9A6YsIQ |
| The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SCLED) is investigating the shooting. Its chief said on Thursday that it had raised concerns about what its officers had seen at the scene. “We believed early on that there was something not right about what happened in that encounter,” Mark Keel said in a statement. | |
| Scott’s family has said that he may have run from the officer because of the thousands of dollars he owed in child support. He referenced some of those missed payments in a 2003 article with local newspaper the Post and Courier. | |
| Related: Who is Michael Slager, the officer who shot Walter Scott? | Related: Who is Michael Slager, the officer who shot Walter Scott? |
| “I got mad at everybody in the whole world because I just lost the best job I ever had,” Scott said at the time. “I just stopped doing everything. I just closed myself into a little shell and started doing things I shouldn’t have been doing.” | “I got mad at everybody in the whole world because I just lost the best job I ever had,” Scott said at the time. “I just stopped doing everything. I just closed myself into a little shell and started doing things I shouldn’t have been doing.” |
| He was interviewed as part of a story about a program meant to help fathers who had missed child support payments, called Father to Father. Whether there was a warrant out for Scott’s arrest and how much he owed in child support both remain unclear. | He was interviewed as part of a story about a program meant to help fathers who had missed child support payments, called Father to Father. Whether there was a warrant out for Scott’s arrest and how much he owed in child support both remain unclear. |
| Slager has been fired from the force, and charged with murder. He is being held at Charleston County Detention Center. The North Charleston police department said it would continue providing his family with health insurance until after his wife, who is eight months pregnant, gives birth. | Slager has been fired from the force, and charged with murder. He is being held at Charleston County Detention Center. The North Charleston police department said it would continue providing his family with health insurance until after his wife, who is eight months pregnant, gives birth. |